SOUTH FLORIDA - ALL AT SEA · South Florida NewS. sF6 allatsea.Net January 2017 I n this issue, we...

ALL AT SEASOUTH FLORIDA

Race to cuba Sipping Diplomático ReseRvaiot on the WaterCongrats Nautical veNtuRes

Inside: NASSAU

sF2 allatsea.Net January 2017

SOUTH FLORIDA NEWS

Cruising north? new Long-term Dry storage yarD in guLf shoresEasy access to a variety of local waterways for cruising, inshore and offshore fishing opportunities and award-winning coastal cuisine are just a few reasons to travel to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area of Alabama. Now, if you’re looking for long-term dry storage in this area, you’re in luck. In Novem-ber, Saunders Yachtworks opened its 42,000-square-foot stor-age yard that can accommodate power and sail vessels up to 50 feet inside a fenced perimeter with security lighting and power hook-ups. Customers will have the option to dry dock or leave the boats trailered.

“Saunders has a long history of providing a wide variety of marine-related services to the fleet of recreational boats us-ing the Alabama Gulf Coast,” says John Fitzgerald, Saunders CEO. “The decision to offer our customers a long-term dry storage option was a natural fit for our company.”

The Saunders family has been in the marine service business in coastal Alabama since 1959. The company operates a full-

service yacht yard in Gulf Shores that accommodates vessels up to 130 feet with a 165-ton lift. A second yard, located in Orange Beach, offers 60-ton lift capacity with full-service and do-it-yourself options, as well as a ship’s store. www.saunder-syacht.com.

Custom-yaCht DeLivereD in six monthsImagine taking delivery of a 78-foot semi-custom trawler-style yacht in half a year. Van der Valk Shipyard, in the Netherlands,

January 2017 allatsea.Net sF3

Subscribe toREAD WHAT YOU LOVE. . .ALL THE T IME , ANY T IME !

Send a subscription to: (please print)

Name:____________________________________________________________________________

Street Address: ___________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: ______________

Email Address: _____________________________________________________________________

Would you also like us to send a gift card? From: ______________________________________

We accept payment by cash, check or:

Account #:________________________________________________________________________

Exp: ___________ / ____________ Security Code (back of card): ______________________

Name on Card: ___________________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________________________________________________________

Billing Address: ___________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: ______________

U.S. Subscriber: 12 issues - $29.95Canada Subscriber: 12 issues - $39.95

Non-U.S./Canada Subscriber: 12 issues - $64.95

Complete this form and mail to: ALL AT SEA, 382 NE 191st Street #32381, Miami, Florida 33179-3899OR Fax this form to: (815) 377-3831

ALL AT SEA

FREEOCTOBER 2012

ALL AT SEAC A R I B B E A N

C A R I B B E A N C H A R T E R T R E N D S B E A U T I F U L A N C H O R A G E S I N T H E B V I

CHARTER: Caribbean Boat ShowsDESTINATION: Bequia

Inside:Wreck Diving

AAS CB 1012 C1-C4.indd 1 9/9/12 11:46 PM

offers this capability via its exciting new series of fast displace-ment motoryachts designed for the yard by Guido de Groot. The all-aluminum construction, which is built to MCA ap-proval, offers a four-stateroom layout plus accommodations for three crew. Wood, stone, fabric or leather is available and an extensive list of equipment is included. C18 Caterpillar en-gines and 4,000 gallons of fuel gives the yacht a tremendous range at displacement speeds and makes it perfect for round-the-world exploration and passage-making.

“This speeds up the process from when you decide you want it to when it’s actually delivered,” say Kevin Frawley, a yacht broker with Denison Yacht Sales, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “It usually takes 12-16 months, or longer, to build a new custom yacht. This is a unique opportunity to have a new, custom-built high quality Dutch yacht in less than 6 months.”

name & Date Change for miami Boat show BreakfastInventions and improvements are the heart of the marine in-dustry. That’s why the National Marine Manufacturers Associa-

tion (NMMA) is re-branding its ‘All Industry Breakfast’ at the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show to the ‘Innovation Breakfast’. The name change celebrates the thou-sands of innovative products, ideas and services displayed during the Show each year. As part of the re-branding, the an-nual breakfast, traditionally held on opening day of the Miami Show, will move to the second day or February 17, 2017, and will re-locate to the show’s expansive new Center Courtyard area at Miami Marine Stadium.

“The new Innovation Breakfast provides a better platform and opportunity to showcase and honor the thousands of new and


ALL AT SEASOUTH FLORIDA

Cover shot: Naval Architecture Award – Semi-displacement

Motor Yacht Winner: IRON MAN with naval architecture by

Azimut Benetti Spa and constructed by Benetti Shipyard image courtesy of Quin Bisset

innovative marine products, services, and ideas introduced at the show each year,” says Ben Wold, executive vice president of NMMA and show manager. “And the Miami International Boat Show’s move to Miami Marine Stadium Park provides an idyllic, historic boating location to showcase the advance-ments in our industry.”

To purchase tickets to the breakfast, contact NMMA’s Venus Berryman at [email protected].

iss awarD winners – JuDges share reasons for seLeCtionStunning. Beautiful execution. Modern simplicity. These are just a few of the words used to describe one of the ISS (Interna-tional Superyacht Society)’s 2016 Design & Leadership Award recipients. The awards, which represent superlative achieve-ment, were presented in November at the 26th Anniversary of ISS’s Awards Gala in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Awards were presented to six individuals and companies in the Distinction & Leadership category, while eight yachts earned Design Awards. One of these was Narvalo, a 108-foot Nauta Yacht, for its inte-rior design. Judge Carol Williamson commented that the ves-

sels “architectural detailing is beautifully executed.” Another judge, Ian Cook, said, “This vessel’s proportions externally are well balanced. The interior is light and has a modern simplic-ity” Derik Wagner, ISS president says, “It gives the ISS great pleasure to recognize those individuals and companies that sacrifice so much to create excellence, excellence for which the superyacht industry and the lifestyle it enables is considered the apex of man’s desire.”

S o u t h F lo r i da N e w S


In this issue, we are going to visit the capital of Nassau on the island of New Providence, where 70-80% of the less than half a million population for the entire country re-sides. During the early 1700’s this was a pirate haven and

you can learn about it at the Pirates of Nassau Museum. Here you have the opportunity to see all sides of pirate life from the simple campsite settlements, artifacts of the era, board-ing parties, and torture devices. There is even a recreated ship you can walk through to get a sense of the “sweet” life.

The end of the pirate days was swift as the British sought to regain control of the islands and appointed Captain Woodes Rogers as Royal governor in 1718. He successfully clamped down on the pi-rates, reformed the civil administration and restored commerce. Three forts were built to protect the wonderful natural harbor. The main fort was Charlotte, which was large and housed troops. It even had a well dug inside in the event of a siege. The eastern entrance was protected by the small Fort Montagu, which housed several cannons and was manned only during assaults. The final

NASSAU ISLANDBY: CAPT SHANE MCCLELLAN


BOAT SHOWSFt. Myers, FLJanuary 12 – 15Charlotte County Boat Showfortmyersboatshow.com954-570-7785

JacksonviLLe, FLJanuary 27 –29Jacksonville Boat [email protected]

napLes, FLJanuary 19 – 22Naples Boat [email protected]

port charLotte, FLJanuary 12 – 15Charlotte County Boat [email protected]

stuart, FLoridaJanuary 13 – 15Stuart Boat Showwww.AllSportsProductions.netcontacts@allsports productions.net954-522-5288

FISHINg TOURNAmENTSisLaMorada, FLJanuary 6 – 8Key Largo Sailfish [email protected]

January 10 – 12Florida Keys Outfitters Sailflywww.floridakeysoutfitters.comtackle@floridakeys outfitters.com305-664-5423

January 16 – 17Capt. Al Flutie Over The Hill Rip-Off Sailfish Tournamentwww.redbone.org/tourn_ sched.html

January 19 – 21Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish [email protected]

January 25 – 26IFC Sailfish Tournamentwww.theislamorada fishingclub.comVinnie@theislamorada fishingclub.com305-664-4735

feBruary 3 – 4Swamp Guides Ball Fishing Tournament & Auctionwww.fkfga.org(305) 664-5142

feBruary 3 – 5Islamorada Women’s Sailfish [email protected]

key West, FLfeBruary 3 – 4Cuda [email protected]

Continued on page SF9

fort built was Fincastle and is situated on top of a hill overlooking the harbor. All three of these forts are open to visitors.

Across the harbor you will find Paradise Island with several resorts. The best known is the mega resort Atlantis. This re-sort is amazing in size and available recreational activities. The most popular is the water park with close to a dozen different water slides.

The other popular attraction is The Dig. This is an aquarium housing many wonderful sea creatures and is decorated as an archeological dig site that discovered the lost city of Atlantis. I found the surroundings to be almost as captivating as the rays, fish, sharks, and other sea creatures. All activities are in-cluded with a stay in the hotel or dockage in the marina.

On the way to or from Atlantis you should stop at the fish fry under the bridge. Here you can have many varieties of fish and of course conch. Speaking of which, did you know 1 out of 10,000 conchs produce a pearl like an oyster? Stop by a jewelry store and see this gorgeous pink rarity.

Even though Nassau is the most urban setting you will find in the Bahamas you can still find nice beaches on Paradise Island and reefs off of Rose Island, which is about five miles to the east and is a quick way to get away from the hustle of town.

One thing I wanted to do in the Bahamas is participate in the Junkanoo festival in Nassau. It is held during the night, the day after Christmas and again on New Year’s Eve. It is a street pa-rade and feels like a combination of Mardi Gras and a marching

band competition. There are several levels of competitors with the Valley Boys and Saxon being the biggest groups. Junkanoo has been featured in the movies Thunderball, After The Sunset, and Jaws The Revenge.

If you get the chance to visit Nassau during Junkanoo go for it. Even if not, a few days in this capital can be enjoyable be-fore heading to the out islands, of which we are going to Eleu-thera over the next two issues.

Visit www.svGuidingLight.com to read more from Captain Shane about the Bahamas, Caribbean, life aboard, world trav-eling, and more.


The second annual Conch Republic Cup/Key West Cuba Race Week set for Jan. 22-to Feb. 3 is the only triangle race to Cuba, visiting two ports, Marina Gaviota in Varadero and Marina Hemingway in Ha-

vana, and includes the challenging return to Key West. “We include buoy racing in Havana which allows Cuban racers to take part,” said Karen Angle, the event’s executive director. “Also, there is built-in down time to allow the participants to enjoy Cuba in this ‘Cultural Exchange Through Sport.’”

The race starts with a 110-mile race from Key West to Varade-ro, followed by a 100-mile race from Varadero to Havana. In Havana, the fleet stays at Hemingway International Marina (a co-host of the event with Key West Community Sailing Cen-ter) and participates in the around-the-marks Castillo del Mor-ro Race and Parade of Sail before racing back 90 miles from Havana to Key West.

SAILORS TO RAcE TO cUBA IN A cULTURAL ExcHANgEBY JILL ZIMA BORSKI

By mid-November, 25 vessels were registered comprising ap-proximately 60 people. Last year, 54 racing vessels and 435 peo-ple competed. Sixty teams are expected in 2017 in divisions for cruising and racing monohulls and schooners. Late registrations are possible but time for processing permits requires participa-tion to be subject to permits being approved in time to race.

New this year is the location of the buoy racing in Varadero, changed from Havana. “We [also] added some extra days to allow more time for weather issues and down time in Cuba,” said Angle. “The race committee is a complete group of ex-perienced members who work together on many races from Charleston Race Week to Quantum Key West Race Week.”

The winner of the Conch Republic Cup is the team with the best combined overall performance in the four races that comprise Key West Cuba Race Week. The event timing is


Continued from page SF7

FISHINg TOURNAmENTSMiaMi, FLJanuary 11 – 15Sailfish 400www.bluewatermove ments.com/sailfish_400/info@bluewater movements.com

West paLM Beach, FLJanuary 4 – 7Silver Sailfish Derbywww.westpalmbeach fishingclub.org/silver- sailfish-derby.php

mUSIc FESTIvALtaMpa, FLJanuary 21Gasparilla Pirate Festivalwww.gasparillapirate fest.com

SAILINg REgATTASFort LauderdaLe, FLJanuary 10 – 13Fort Lauderdale to Key West Racewww.keywestrace.org

key West, FLJanuary 15 – 20Quantum Key West Race [email protected]

January 22 – feBruary 3Conch Republic Cupconchrepubliccup.com/

MiaMi, FLJanuary 22 – 28ISAF Sailing World Cup Miamimiami.ussailing.org/

feBruary 3 – 5Melges (NA) Miami Winter Series Event No. 2 | Miami Winter Regattawww.melges20.com

designed to allow sailors who follow the racing calendar to continue on to the Caribbean racing circuit.

A Key West Citizen article last year began, “Brisk winds Friday made for a quick, but bumpy, start to the first leg of a sailing race between Key West and Cuba.”

Eddie Evans of Charleston, S.C., skipper of the Oceanis 381 Naut-On Call, won the 2016 Conch Republic Cup. He planned to defend his trophy this year. “Initially, I wanted to join in for the thrill of visiting Cuba,” said Evans, who competed for many years in the Regatta Time in Abaco because of the spirited competi-tion and fun-loving attitudes of its organizers and participants, “but I found the Conch Republic Cup to share the recipe of fun and competition that my crew and I find so appealing.”

Evans has been sailing for 40 years, and while he used to average

200 ocean miles a year aboard Naut-On Call, he now averages closer to 5,000 nautical miles when he includes the Conch Re-public Cup on his schedule. “While we enjoy being competitive, our boat’s ultimate goal is making friendships and sharing our passion of sailing and adventure with like-minded individuals.”

The Conch Republic Cup is a historic race that started in 1997 with a direct race to Varadero then expanded to Havana in 1999. With the loosening of the travel restrictions to Cuba by the Obama administration, organizers were able to revive the race. Past races included five classes of vessels – 2 PHRF, JAM, Multihull and Schooner.

Commodore José Miguel Díaz Escrich, port officer of the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba which boasts 2,433 members from 65 countries, said, “The board of directors and [our] members… greet you sincerely and wish to share with you and all members of [the] American boating community the hap-piness that fills our hearts because of the establishment of dip-lomatic relations between our two countries, [an] historic event that opens a path full of hope and optimism that will enable us to continue expanding and strengthening relations of friendship and cooperation established with the American boating commu-nity since May 21, 1992, when our Yacht Club was founded.”

Jill Zima Borski is a writer and artist living in the Florida Keys. Her website is ww.jill-zima-borski.com.


One of the latest tech buzzwords is the Internet of Things (IoT). Instead of person-to-person com-munication, the IoT is a network of internet-con-nected devices that ‘talk’ between themselves via

sensors that collect and exchange information. The widespread availability of Wi-Fi has made the IoT possible. Devices, in this case, are usually something other than the standard computer or smartphone. For example, the new features in cars such as backup camera and enhanced cruise control are all intercon-nected. Now, the IoT has come to the marine industry.

“The IoT in the marine ecosystem is how all of the products that we as a company manufacture interconnect,” explains

THE INTERNET OF THINgS cOmES TO THE mARINE INDUSTRyBY CAROL M. BAREuTHER

Lee Gordon, director of global public relations and commu-nications for Mercury Marine headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. “In essence, driving a boat is now a lot easier than it used to be because all our devices communicate and inter-act seamlessly with the boat’s engine(s).”

What Mercury has accomplished in this area is an excellent example of the IoT as it applies to the marine industry. In this case, it all starts with the engine and from there adds in devices such as the company’s Active Trim, Joystick Piloting, Skyhook and Vessel View mobile. Here’s how it works:

Active Trim: If you’re an expert boater, you like to trim the en-


gines yourself, while novices don’t always know how to do this optimally. This device offers five selectable trim profiles that can accommodate nearly any boat application from small run-abouts to high performance yachts. The technology is based on the company’s patented GPS-based control system that controls the trim in concert with boat speed and engine RPM. This enables you, experienced or novice, to focus on driving rather than trimming the boat.

Joystick Piloting. If you see a young boy or girl driving a boat don’t be surprised. Think of joystick piloting like a video game, but with Verado engines on the back. The joystick inte-grates three features, skyhook, route and auto-heading. The top of the knob notifies you of the mode they are in, just like the ‘check engine’ light on an automobile. A light ring was added to give you a visual indication of what you’re doing with the joystick and its state. Many customers, even experi-enced boaters, say they will never buy a boat again without Joystick piloting, according to Gordon.

Skyhook: If you are out fishing and find that perfect fishing hole, you no longer have to throw that heavy anchor in the water – and even if you do, you’ll still drift away from your point. This device uses GPS coordinates to hold position with the push of a button.

Vessel View Mobile: It seems like everything in life is avail-able in the palm of our hands, i.e. on our phones. You may be at the grocery store, about to drive to the dock and won-der if you have a full tank of gas? This device is a Bluetooth module that connects to the boat’s engine(s) and transmits data to a connected smartphone via a free app. A boat own-er can give their dealer access to that data to help diagnose engine issues real-time. Taking it a step further, the boat owner can give their dealer the ability to monitor mainte-nance intervals.

“Most boaters have mobile devices, all boaters need to drive their boats and trim their engines, so the evolution of tech-nology has been adopted very favorably with boaters of all ages,” says Gordon. “We utilize several Voice of Customer techniques to make sure the products we develop are as easy to use as possible.”

What does Gordon see as the future for the IoT and boating?

“As customers get more accustomed to the ecosystem of a vessel, they will require us to advance the products and manufacture new ones. These, all working together, will continue to make boating much easier and more enjoyable for everyone.”

t h e i N t e r N e t o F t h i N g S . . .


What started as a Hobie, kayak and sail dealer in 1987 is today a major marine superstore. Nautical Ventures, with three South Florida locations, celebrates its 30th anniversary this

year. In December, the company enjoyed an early celebration after being recognized as a Top 100 Dealer for 2016 during the National Marine Dealer Conference & Expo.

“As the kayak craze grew into other nautical sports, such as stand-up paddle boarding and extreme kayak fishing, the store grew alongside it, adding new brands and product cat-egories to support those markets,” explains Frank Ferraro, director of marketing for the Nautical Ventures Group.

In 2009, a neighboring brokerage firm, QPS Marine owned by Roger Moore and Jeff Garcia, bought a majority inter-est in Nautical Ventures and added a boat dealership with yachting components to the store. Moore soon formed im-portant relationships with key brands such as Novurania, Yamaha, Mercury, Bote Paddle Boards, Century Boats and more, and expanded the retail footprint to a 30,000-square

NAUTIcAL vENTURES cELEBRATES ITS DIAmOND ANNIvERSARyBY CAROL M. BAREuTHER

foot state-of-the-art waterfront dealership in Dania Beach. In 2015, Moore bought the former MarineMax location in North Palm Beach and opened a second store to serve that market. Both locations feature the company’s signature AquaZoneTM, an in-water facility that gives customers the opportunity to try products before they buy them. In 2016, a third retail location was opened in Riviera Beach adjacent to the new $50 million expansion project taking place at the Riviera Beach Marina.

What’s ahead for Nautical Ventures in 2017?

“We’re adding larger boats, up to 80-foot, to our inventory. We’re growing our brokerage division. We’re adding an e-commerce component to our website. We’re improving our service division and placing an emphasis on repower programs and engine sales. We have integrated new dealer manage-ment software to streamline operations and better communi-cate with our clientele. We are also growing our rental opera-tions and creating organic events and meetup groups to meet the social demands of our customers,” says Ferraro.


ture of a distinguished gentleman. The nose is very earthy with a slight hint of vanilla. Oak is the dominant wood note with some cedar un-dertones. Once on the palate there is a burst of cinnamon. Reminds me of the cinnamon red heart candies I loved as a kid. I get burst of spice, slight heat on the throat then it’s gone; nothing lingers for me. The rum has a syrupy consistency and laces the glass like a nice rum but it doesn’t

provide the sweetness one would expect. I’d say it’s hardy without much complexity. overaLLAt a price point of $38.00 there are far better offerings that provide more contemplation. We’re not saying to pass it up though. Diplomático Reserva makes a nice rum to share with others when you are simply shooting the breeze at anchor. 3 out of 5

DIpLOmáTIcO RESERvA –vENEzUELArum BY CLINT AND TERRY BORAM

We never know where we are going to find our next rum to review. Diplomáti-co Reserva was sitting on the bar coun-ter at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club

the days leading up to the potential landfall of Tropical Storm Matthew. Ironically, the bartenders were using it to make Hurricanes. Clint asked for a sample straight up and thought the rum deserved a review. Diplomático distillery was founded in 1959 at the foot of the Andes Mountains in Venezuela. In 2002. After several mergers, a group of local investors purchased the manufacturing assets and formed Distilleries uni-tas S.A. Although the company is new, the traditions of making rum is not. Reserva is made from the high-est quality Venezuela sugar cane and sugar cane mo-lasses. The rum is a balance of pot still rums, distilled from sugar cane honeys and light column still rums. It is then aged up to eight years. And who is the gentleman featured on the bottle? Accord-ing to legend Don Juancho Nieto Meléndez lived near the distillery at the end of the 19th century. A craftsman at heart, Meléndez sought ways to refine his own product by sampling rums throughout the Caribbean. His impressive rum collec-tion came to be known as “The Ambassador’s Reserves.” Diplomático pays homage to a Meléndez dedication, know-how, gentleman’s manners and authentic personality. he saiDThis dark hued rum definitely has a mellow wood nose. I know it should be oak, however I’m getting more hickory or ash with tobacco and a slight hint of vanilla. The longer I let it decant and breath the more notes come out. On the pal-ate there is a rush of pepper which settles quickly. I also get a buttery note. Maybe toffee, if you will. The combination of spice and butter lingers and warms my throat. Second and third sips brings out some orange peel and more of the tan-nins from the wood. she saiDI love the green, corked bottle with the black and white pic-

sipping rum sCaLe

1 – An expensive mixer 2 – A quick celebratory shot 3 – Wouldn’t be embarrassed to share with friends4 – Are my friends worthy of a sip5 – Special moments rum

aBout CLint anD terry: We have sampled many a dram over our 33 years of marriage and quite often we don’t fully agree. Could be the difference is male/female taste buds. Or, somebody is just wrong.

SOUTH FLORIDA - ALL AT SEA · South Florida NewS. sF6 allatsea.Net January 2017 I n this issue, we...

Documents

Transcript of SOUTH FLORIDA - ALL AT SEA · South Florida NewS. sF6 allatsea.Net January 2017 I n this issue, we...